2021 Metcalf Award Recipient: David Sullivan

David G. Sullivan is a Master Lecturer and the Director of Peer Education and Assessment in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Arts & Sciences. He is “a creative and committed teacher,” says the department chair. “He has been an innovative leader in our educational mission, and he has had an enormous impact on the lives of students.”

His redesign of Introduction to Computer Science I, the gateway course to the major, is described as “radical.” The course supplements the traditional focus on programming with units that explore the diversity of subjects that constitute computer science. Student response has been overwhelming: enrollment has increased from 500 students in 2013–2014 to more than 1,000 this year, and more than 50 percent of them are women, up from 20 percent.

This success is not isolated. Reviews from across all his courses speak of “an amazing professor” who “really cares about students” and is “insanely good at teaching.” “He made me fall in love with computer science,” is a sentiment echoed by many. One student even describes him as an “angel sent from the heavens.”

Dr. Sullivan developed the department’s course assistant program, in which undergraduates serve as mentors to students in introductory courses, and he has himself been an outstanding mentor to junior instructors. He has also been a department leader in utilizing innovative educational approaches and technological tools to improve student learning. In particular, he employs peer instruction, an educational methodology that gives students immediate feedback on their understanding of key concepts and promotes deeper learning through in-class exercises and small group discussions. He has also helped other faculty members to adopt these approaches and tools in their own courses.

Dr. Sullivan holds an AB in Physics from Harvard College, and an SM and PhD in Computer Science from Harvard University. Boston University has previously recognized his contributions with the Neu Family Award for Excellence in Teaching.